make 2007 my best year yet

God, doesn’t time fly! Thought I better do a bit of a check in. Hope all you folks are doing well.

1. Get divorced as amicably as possible, as quickly as possible and accept help to move on
Need to check in with solicitor but the first part of the divorce has gone through, think we are waiting for the decree nisi to be issued.

2. Achieve freedom from debt during this year
Have registered with some agencies and the freelancing is going well. Waiting to see how a couple of other things pan out before diving into a search for a fulltime job – tempting/part-time is the way to go at the moment.

3. Find well paid satisfying work
- see point 2.

4. Make myself a bedsized quilt
- “Have amassed some more fabrics for this, but haven’t been brave enough to cut them yet.” Have now amassed some more… there’s a bit pile of fabrics now but I’ve been mostly dressmaking because there’s weddings and Big Nights Out coming up.

5. Win Janowrimo
- Ditched. But thinking about the screenwriting challenge.

6. Follow a running programme with a goal of a 5k in March
- Had a couple of injury niggles. Still plodding away and may have a new running partner.

7. Lose 14lbs by my birthday
- Didn’t make this, but I’m back at Weightwatchers and eating healthily.

8. Pamper myself
- Check! Got my hair cut last week and have been doing home facials.

9. Build up my blog
- Had a bit of press which is good. Working on finishing crafty projects so they can go up on the blog.

10. Complete The Artist’s Way
- No progress.

well in my head at least…

1. Get divorced as amicably as possible, as quickly as possible and accept help to move on
- he’s finally got a solicitor. I need to find a new place to live.

2. Achieve freedom from debt during this year
- Have applied for some jobs and had interviews but no word as yet.

3. Find well paid satisfying work
- see point 2.

4. Make myself a bedsized quilt
- Have amassed some more fabrics for this, but haven’t been brave enough to cut them yet.

5. Win Janowrimo
- Ditch this, there’s no writing going on at all at the moment.

6. Follow a running programme with a goal of a 5k in March
- Ill at the moment but have been doing a little running. Have also entered the ballot for the NY marathon, hah!

7. Lose 14lbs by my birthday
- Not sure, bit scared of the scales at the moment.

8. Pamper myself
- It could be better but it’s better than usual.

9. Build up my blog
- Have been making new connections which is fun.

10. Complete The Artist’s Way
- No progress.

1. Get divorced as amicably as possible, as quickly as possible and accept help to move on
- I now know what I want out of this which is very important. I’m giving him the forms he needs to complete tonight.

2. Achieve freedom from debt during this year
- I still need to find a job, though I’ve made some money from selling my art and handcrafts. I’m on my fourth freelance job since New Year.

3. Find well paid satisfying work
- I have a preliminary interview tomorrow, which resulted from me sending in my CV on spec.

4. Make myself a bedsized quilt
- Still waiting for first swap packages to arrive, but v excited about this.

5. Win Janowrimo
- haven’t been writing anything. I think this goal will be replaced.

6. Follow a running programme with a goal of a 5k in March
- working on losing a little more weight before embarking on this one. Did walk yesterday, which is a start.

7. Lose 14lbs by my birthday
- Halfway there after a no sugar low carb diet for a fortnight.

8. Pamper myself
- I’m taking good care of my skin which is the least you should do, but more than I usually do.

9. Build up my blog
- Have settled on less quantity, more quality for the moment.

10. Complete The Artist’s Way
- Did MPs yesterday, which was really useful. I’ve been a bit scared of writing things down recently – v unusual for me.

...and it’s already time to give myself a break from beating myself up for not making any progress.

1. Get divorced as amicably as possible, as quickly as possible and accept help to move on
- This one’s proving difficult at the moment. Things may be clearer on how it’s going to go on Monday, once he’s back and I see his mood. I did progress the paperwork and it’s all quite scary. Have set up our separate bedrooms finally – another liberation. Friends have been really good.

2. Achieve freedom from debt during this year
- I haven’t been spending much which is a start, apart from Christmas gift money which is specifically allocated to things like a replacement sewing machine. Next subgoal is making an accurate summary of how much debt I have.

3. Find well paid satisfying work
- Having lunch with my old boss tomorrow, she may be able to help. Though it was satisfying, the industry I worked in wasn’t well paid (notoriously poor salaries) and I need regular income. It will also have to be supplemented with freelance work.

4. Make myself a bedsized quilt
- I set up a fabric swap to help facilitate this! That starts tomorrow. A further part of this goal is to make beautiful things for myself – I always make things as gifts and give almost everything away.

5. Win Janowrimo
- Well, like I said, it’s only the 6th! There are lots of ideas floating around, but haven’t actually written a word yet. Back to the Artist’s Way to get over ‘the fear’, I think…

6. Follow a running programme with a goal of a 5k in March
- Not a step taken. But it’s peeing rain outside today and I’m definitely a fair weather runner! Having tidied and rearranged for days now, I have found all my gear though so will be ready for tomorrow. Or the next dry day.

7. Lose 14lbs by my birthday
- This could be better but could also be a lot worse. It’s actually not my highest priority right now, the next goal is actually more important at the moment.

8. Pamper myself
- Tomorrow is going to be a ‘me’ day, a Sunday doing whatever I like, and just what I like.

9. Build up my blog
- Got to make some decisions about what sort of blog I want it to be. Might just be a crafty one for the moment, but I’d have to resist the urge to splurge verbally about all my current backstory. As ‘he’ reads it, or knows of its existence, I don’t know how honest I can be on it at the moment which makes me loathe to post at all.

10. Complete The Artist’s Way
- Still doing morning pages, as much as I can. I think getting back to the tasks will be helpful – that’s something for ‘Pamper Myself Sunday’.

Hope everyone else is feeling positive and making headway!

Wow, there are so many entries and comments to catch up on, hasn’t this just grown exponentially! Finally sat down, thought about all of this even more, and it was good to have had some time to do that because much has changed since I first started , including the paradigm. I wasn’t going to post all of my plan, then thought – well, in the spirit of being more open…

So here goes

Guidelines
1. Regain my financial independence
2. Be confident in my many gifts
3. Lead a creative, fulfilling life

New Paradigm
I’m a happy and confident person and I’m thoroughly deserving of all the excellent things that come to me.

Major Focus
Building a very new independent life

Goals
1. Get divorced as amicably as possible, as quickly as possible and accept help to move on

2. Achieve freedom from debt during this year

3. Find well paid satisfying work

4. Make myself a bedsized quilt

5. Win Janowrimo

6. Follow a running programme with a goal of a 5k in March

7. Lose 14lbs by my birthday

8. Pamper myself

9. Build up my blog

10. Complete The Artist’s Way

Actually that’s not entirely true, I’ve been working flat out on my little business but that hasn’t been going so well, lots of setbacks. I’m very worried about 2007 because it’s going to mean a lot of changes, most of them not my choice and money is going to be a huge worry.
So this week I will complete the two last chapters, and actually set the goals. Just doing that alone should almost be one of my goals, hah!

I spent quite a while on it today (more than three hours, that’s for sure!) and I’m at question 8! Spent two hours on the phone telling friends about separating so that interrupted a little… going to sleep on things for the night and then resume it tomorrow to give myself an opportunity to choose the right goals.

...I actually already have the book? Seems like an omen to me… Snowleopard, cheers for the invitation. After NanoNovember finishes, I’ll sit down with the book and get my head around it. 2006 was generally quite poo, so planning ahead to make 2007 my best year ever seems like a very wise plan!